For our starters, Libby opted for the pecorino risotto balls w/ spicy tomato sauce (good), and I had the chorizo sage leaves w/ saffron aioli (little chorizo ‘fingers’ wrapped in sage leaves, breaded and fried — excellent). For her main, Libby had the goat cheese ravioli w/ fresh mission figs and honeyed onion (excellent). I had the sweet corn agnolotti w/ shrimp, summer truffles, and purslane (very good and bursting w/ summer freshness). For dessert, we shared a ricotta cheesecake w/ blueberry compote and lemon sorbet (very good).

We were impressed by the quality of the food. I think the standout dishes were my chorizo sage leaves and Libby’s ravioli. The portion sizes in the case of the main dishes are rather modest for the prices (not too high by NYC standards, but a little spendy for this Tampa boy). Given the opportunity again, I think I’d treat Craftbar more like a tapas bar and share a variety of small plates and appetizers, skipping the second course. This ‘strategy’ would allow for sampling a wider range of dishes and provide a little more culinary bang for the buck.

In contrast, Ellis Island was great and far more personally moving. I don’t **think** any of our family passed through this gateway, but it was nonetheless remarkable. To leave one’s homeland for a new country… I can only imagine the range of emotions that the immigrants must have felt.

After our sojourn to lower Manhattan, we headed up to SoHo to do a little window shopping. It’s a pretty cool area with trendy boutiques and art galleries. Saw some awesome Damien Hirst prints for sale. Too bad I was $27,900 short of the $28,000 price tag.

Next we went to MoMA to see the Matisse exhibit and view works in the permanent collection. The Matisse show was interesting but packed with crowds. It focused on an important and somewhat transitional period of Matisse’s work: 1913-1917. Unfortunately, much of the permanent collection wasn’t on view, as galleries were being rehung. Disappointing. And really, that’s sort of crap after paying a $20/pp. entry fee. We did at least get to see a number of Mondrian paintings, as well as some works by Daniel Buren.

We walked back to the hotel. En route Libby stopped in a few shops on Madison Ave. and picked up a new Furla purse. It “spoke” to her. But, you’ll have to ask her what it said…

Since the weather was perfect, we opted for a sidewalk table on Park Avenue. We enjoyed al fresco dining and also got a show from the city’s wandering crazies (such as the guy who was cursing at someone only he could see… apparently he no longer wanted to be imaginary friends). I guess that’s life in the big city…

Back to dinner: Libby started out with the melted brie on toast topped with honey and cracked black pepper (a bit sweet for me, but she loved it). I had the classic Onion Soup (a very respectable version and one of my all-time favorite foods). For her main, Libby opted for a ham and cheese quiche (excellent). I enjoyed the steak frites, specifically a skirt steak (good beefy flavor) with a blue cheese sauce. For our sweet, we split a creme brûlée.

Overall, while the food wasn’t wildly creative or ultra sophisticated, it was honest and good. Better still, Las Halles is a bargain for NYC: $85 for two people, three courses w/ drinks (a nice Rhone wine by the glass). Excellent quality-price ratio. Highly recommended.

The Warhol exhibition featured works from the last decade of his life–a very interesting period that demonstrated an expansion of his practice and application of his techniques beyond his famous Pop art of the 60s. An example is below… silk screening to create a work akin to earlier abstract expressionist paintings. We skipped the Kiki Smith show, as we’d seen it in Barcelona about 18 months ago. We also enjoyed seeing Abdi’s work from Work of Art, as we’d closely followed the show this season.

After the museum, we traveled back to Manhattan and hung out in Greenwich Village for a while. We liked the feel of the Village. And, we enjoyed visiting NYU.

Tonight we’re having dinner at Brasserie Las Halles, Anthony Bourdain’s French bistro.

To kill some time we visited the mammoth Toys ‘r Us in Times Square. I have to say, I generally hate Times Square, but I really like this mega store every time I’ve visited it. We can’t wait until Emerson is old enough to enjoy kid friendly stuff in NYC. I know we’ll have a blast bringing her here!

Anyway, back to the show… it was very good, though not great. Grammer and Hodges were both exceptional and seemed to really be enjoying the experience on stage. A fun night!

See for yourself…